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what's cookin' good lookin'?

metsmarathon Nov 15 2010 06:29 PM

in addition to rooting for the mets, running a lot, chasing after a munchkin, and screwing around with my camera, i also like to get busy in the kitchen. i do most of the cooking in our house, and a little of the baking, and if i may be so bold, i feel like a do a pretty decent job at it. i dare say, it's a hobby of mine. i figured that much like we've got a bunch of other mets fans who run, have kids, and/or take pictures, we've probably got some people here who are handy in the kitchen. so i thought it was about time we had a culinary compliment to our photography and running threads. i think the only real ground rule is that you have to have prepared the dishes you share. pictures may be nice accompaniment, a review/recommendation of the outcome would sure be nice as well (so as to steer us clear of any shit casserole you might whip up one day), and maybe the source of the recipe, but really, feel free to share your culinary feats of daring, disaster, accomplishment, or agony. i'll start us off with a bit of back story. see, in our kitchen, we've got a little pantry. it's deep, but narrow, and tends to be a black hole that sucks in whatever non-perishable items i may come home from the store with. its generally been an insurmountable task going through it and trying to use up the stuff that's in there. so i decided that the solution to the problem, aside from trying not to buy too much more that will just end up in there, each week, i'd pick five random items from the deep, dark abyss and use them in my menus for the week. kindof like that show, chopped, on food network. this week, i've got: > dried new mexico chilis > oriental flavor ramen noodles > diced tomatoes > pasta shells > coconut oil with that as my backdrop, i set out to find a good dinner for our anniversary tonight. eventually a thread of inquiry led me to a recipe on the whole foods recipes app for cioppino with bacon and mussels, and a happy destination for the tomatoes and, with modification, the shells. an unsuccessful attempt at finding suitable mussels at the sortof-local shoprite later, and the die was cast. i bring you: cioppino with langostino, crab, and bacon 4 slices applewood smoked bacon, diced 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 shallot, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 28 oz diced tomatoes 32 oz vegetable broth 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp dried parsely 1 tsp dried basil 2 bay leaves 12 oz frozen cod fillets 5 oz frozen langostino meat 6 oz lump crab meat salt & pepper to taste chopped fresh parsley & basil for garnish crusty bread for dipping ... 1. in large saucepan, cook bacon over medium-high heat until cooked, but not quite crispy. 2. add onion, garlic, & shallot, sauteeing until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. 3. add tomatoes and vegetable broth and simmer 20 minutes. (it was looking a little thick so i added about 1-2 cups water) 4. add dried herbs, fish, and pasta and simmer 5 minutes, then add crab and langostinos and simmer 5-10 minutes longer. season with salt & pepper to taste. 5. ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs. serve with crusty bread. ... it should serve 4. since there's only two of us indulging in the good stuff, i'm doing my best to minimize leftovers for lunch tomorrow. let me tell you, this is delicious! i have some leftover bread from the last time we ordered out for italian, so i pulled that from the freezer, topped it with some butter, garlic powder and a little onion powder, and toasted it up in the oven. mmm, good stuff. i've got a lot more bacon in here than the source recipe, which is always a good thing. the shells seem to be a good addition as well. as much as i love mussels, and i do love mussels, the crab and langostino are a great improvement, i think, and it all goes just so well together. later in the week, i'm doing a southwest take on chicken cacciatore (dried chili, plus more diced tomatoes), as well as a scallop stir fry with baby bok choy and some more langostino (coconut oil and the oriental ramen noodles). so. what's in your kitchen?

Ceetar Nov 15 2010 06:44 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

I don't get as fancy as all that. (I do do most of the cooking and baking, although I prefer baking) Today we just had bubba burgers. easy. I had people over a couple of weeks ago for a post honeymoon party. Wanted to make Kalua pulled pork, like in Hawaii. It was ridiculously easy and tasted amazing. 5-6 pork butt/shoulder. hawaiian black or red sea salt (used Red) liquid smoke. (avail near bbq sauce usually) I don't measure, but I stabbed the pork and rubbed it up good with the salt and smoke, threw it in the slow cooker for about 15 hours. it just pulled apart real easy. in addition, made some mac and cheese. made a rouge, butter flour salt cayenne pepper and some milk (should've used cream) heated til thick and added a ton of cheese, mostly mozzerella, cheddar jack and cheddar. (should've used less mozz here, and more cheddar. has a cheesier taste and the mozz is too smooth) mixed that with the cooked pasta, covered in breadcrumbs mixed with olive oil and baked. came out tasty, but not quite cheesey enough. also made chocolate macadamia nut cookies. those were simple, just used the tollhouse recipe and added mac nuts. This isn't quite cooking, but the cocktail of the evening was a lava flow. Blended strawberry with coconut rum and regular rum, poured some into the bottom of the glass. then blend coconut cream, pineapple juice, and a banana. pour that mixture into the glass, and the red 'flows' up the glass. garnished with pineapple slice and a paper umbrella.

Fman99 Nov 15 2010 07:44 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Though I tend to follow other people's recipes I, like MM, am the primary cook in my house. My children are fairly fussy eaters, though, so my more adventurous outings are usually accompanied by peanut butter sandwiches for Fboy and Fgirl. Tonight was a classic, homemade meatballs with gluten free pasta and tomato sauce. Nothing too exotic. Tomorrow is whole grain mustard-marinated rope sausage kabobs with mushrooms and peppers (recipe to follow).

dgwphotography Nov 16 2010 04:45 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Sounds like I'm not the only guy around here who is the primary cook in the house. Sunday, I made Chicken noodle soup with more than enough leftover for Monday's dinner (it's always even better the day after). * 1 recipe Fast Chicken Soup Base * 3 cups egg noodles * 1 cup frozen green peas * 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley * Salt and freshly ground black pepper ------- 1. Prepare Fast Chicken Soup Base. Bring to a simmer. 2. Add these, then simmer until tender, 10-20 minutes: 3 cups egg noodles. 3. Before removing from heat, stir in: 1 cup (5 ounces) frozen green peas and 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley. 4. Final touch: Add salt and pepper, to taste. Chicken Soup Base: * 2 quarts chicken broth * 1 quart water * 1 store-bought roast chicken * 3 tablespoons vegetable oil * 2 large onions, cut into medium dice * 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds or half rounds, depending on size * 2 large stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick * 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves ---------- 1. Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a large soup kettle. Meanwhile, separate chicken meat from skin and bones; reserve meat. Add skin and bones to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer until bones release their flavor, 20 to 30 minutes. 2. Strain broth through a colander into a large container; reserve broth and discard skin and bones. Return kettle to burner set on medium-high. 3. Add onions, carrots, celery, chicken, broth and thyme. Bring to a simmer. (Can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Return to a simmer before adding the extras of your choice.)

Benjamin Grimm Nov 16 2010 04:54 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Hey, I'm the cook in my house too! (I have little interest in baking, though.) The last time we had company, a few weeks ago, I made this Portuguese dish. (I think I almost tripled the recipe. Maybe 2.5x) I searched for the recipe based on an entree I saw on a menu at a Portuguese restaurant in Philadelphia, and first made it during the summer. I later had it in a restaurant in Portugal. Portuguese Pork Alentejana Submitted By: John Pacheco Prep Time: 40 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 7 Hours 10 Minutes Servings: 6 "This wonderful dish is a medley of meat and vegetable flavors." Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups dry white wine 1 teaspoon paprika 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half 1 bay leaf 2 pounds pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 2 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 24 small clams in shell, scrubbed 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Directions: 1. In large bowl, combine wine, paprika, salt and pepper, blend well. Add garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cubed meat, turn meat in marinade to coat pieces. Marinate for 6 hours, turning occasionally. 2. Drain pork; reserve marinade. Pat cubes completely dry. Discard garlic and bay leaf. Melt 1 teaspoon of oil in large skillet. Add pork cubes, stirring frequently so that the meat colors quickly and evenly. Transfer with slotted spoon to a bowl. 3. Pour reserved marinade into skillet and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping off any brown particles clinging to the inside of pan. Boil briskly uncovered until marinade is reduced to 1 cup. Pour over pork and set aside. 4. In 6 to 8 quart pan, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil; add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until onion is soft but not brown. Add garlic, tomatoes and crushed red pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. 5. Spread the clams, hinged side down, over the tomato sauce; cover the pan tightly and cook over medium to high heat for ten minutes or until clams open. Stir in reserved pork and juices. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat thoroughly. Sprinkle with parsley.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 16 2010 01:44 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

The cooking's probably about 70-30 me (85-15, if we include baby food), although BetterHalfer's a good by-the-book chef with a nice sense of flavor. Me, I can follow a recipe if need be... but I'm far more likely to improvise. (Like Grimm, though-- unless it's roasty potatoes or chicken/fish, I'm doing no baking.) We've been a bit kitch-ophrenic-- nice meal twice a week, sandwiches/takeout/leftovers/frozen Trader Joe's things the rest of the week-- with the baby and all. But when we cook... we cook. Last night: take beans out of soak, make me some late-night ragout. Tonight: we finish the cassoulet (a variation on a Food and Wine recipe, IIRC). A lot of work for some porky bean stew... but good God, is it good. And, assuming no act-of-God-in-kitchen weirdness, I will have EXCELLENT lunch for the rest of this week. 2-3 fresh ham hocks 1 lb. pork butt, cut into cubes (1-2 inch or thereabouts?) About 1/2 lb. fresh pork skin with a little bit of fat attached Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 pounds dried white beans (pea beans, navy beans, cannelini, whatever) 2 ounces salt pork, skin removed 1/3 cup duck fat (we made duck last week-- you can sub something like chicken fat in here if you want) 3-4 small carrots, thinly sliced 2 medium onions, diced One 5-ounce piece of pancetta One 5-ounce piece of prosciutto 1 head of garlic, unpeeled, plus 4 small garlic cloves, peeled 1 large tomato (I used plum), chopped 2 quarts plus two cups chicken broth Bouquet garni: (some parsley sprigs, a couple of small celery ribs, some thyme sprigs and 1 bay leaf) 6 duck confit legs (like I said, we made some duck; if you want to go cheap-o, some chicken thighs will work well here, too) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound pork sausage (Frenchy like saucisses de Toulouse probably works best), pricked with a fork 1/4 cup bread crumbs 1. Put the ham hocks, pork shoulder cubes and skin in a large dish; season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In a bowl, cover the beans with 3 inches of water and soak overnight. 2. The next day, in a medium saucepan, cover the salt pork and the seasoned skin with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over moderate heat until the skin is nice and workable (25-30 minutes?). Drain and cool. Re-refrigerate the salt pork. Cut the pork skin into 5 long pieces, roll each piece into a bundle and tie with string. 3. Now... it's ragout time. Dry the ham hocks and pork shoulder cubes with a paper towel. In a big-ass cast-iron casserole, heat the duck fat. Add half of the pork cubes and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned all over, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining pork cubes. Add the ham hocks to the casserole and brown them lightly, too. Add the carrots and onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelly and golden, about 7 minutes. Add the pancetta and brown it lightly. Add the prosciutto, the head of garlic and the tomato and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 2 quarts of the broth, the bouquet garni, pork skin bundles and the browned pork and its juices and bring to a boil. Cover the casserole and gently simmer the ragout over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. 4. Grab the beans from the fridge, and drain them. In a large saucepan, cover them with water and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Simmer the beans for 3 minutes, then drain. Add the beans to the ragout and simmer until the beans are just tender, about 2 hours. Let the ragout cool, then refrigerate overnight. 5. Skim as much of the solidified fat as you can from the surface of the ragout; reserve about 1/4 cup of the fat. Let the ragout return to room temperature. Pick out the ham hocks, pancetta and prosciutto. Cut the meats into bite-size pieces; discard the bones, skin and gristle. Pick out the pork skin bundles and the head of garlic and reserve. Discard the bouquet garni (gently-- it's done its job, and deserves respect). 6. Preheat the oven to 400°. Bring the ragout to a simmer. Cut the blanched salt pork into small pieces. Squeeze the cooked garlic cloves into a food processor. Add the salt pork and the raw garlic cloves and process to a smooth paste. Stir the paste into the ragout and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in all of the cooked and cured meats. 7. Meanwhile, put the duck legs in a baking dish and roast just until heated all the way through, about 15 minutes. Pull the meat from the bones in large pieces. Cut the skin into strips. Toss the bones. 8. Turn the oven down to 325°. Untie and unroll the pork skin bundles. Line the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart earthenware casserole with the pork skin, fat side down. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer half of the ragout to the earthenware casserole. Top with the duck confit in an even layer, then cover with the rest of the ragout. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth to the cooking liquid in the cast-iron casserole and season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour the liquid over the ragout and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the reserved skimmed fat. Bake the cassoulet for 1 1/2 hours. 9. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet. Add the sausages and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over. Let cool, then cut the sausages into 3-inch pieces. 10. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°. Gently stir in the skin that has formed on the cassoulet. Nestle in the sausages and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of reserved fat. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake the cassoulet for 1 hour longer, until it is richly browned on the surface. Transfer to a rack and let sit for 20-25 minutes before serving.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 16 2010 02:01 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

I first started cooking for myself when I lived alone. At the time I had no cooking instincts and I followed recipes (simple ones) to the letter. But as the instincts developed, the improvising kicked in. I've learned when it's important to measure the ingredients (like the ratio of liquid to rice, for example) and when it's not (I never measure garlic). In addition to the cooking, I do the meal planning. It's often based on the sell-by dates at the supermarket on Sunday when we shop. (I never put meat in the freezer because I never remember to defrost anything. Stuff that goes into the freezer rarely comes out before it's freezer-burnt.) I have a mental list of meals and sides that can be prepared quickly on weekday evenings. On Saturday we usually do takeout, and it's on Sundays when, if I'm in the mood, I'll try something ambitious. About once a month or so I'll make a jambalaya recipe from Paul Prudhomme's cookbook. My daughter won't go near it, but my wife and son are always glad when I make it.

TransMonk Nov 16 2010 02:20 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

I admire anyone that takes the time to learn to make a variety of foods and appreciate bringing different flavors together. My palate is limited which in turn makes my cooking skills very one dimensional. Like anything else, I can follow directions, but lack even basic cooking instincts. My significant other is a truly great cook who has to dumb things down for me. She says that I eat to live while she lives to eat. Learning to be able to cook delicious things is one of the many things I hope to tackle someday.

dgwphotography Nov 16 2010 02:33 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: In addition to the cooking, I do the meal planning. It's often based on the sell-by dates at the supermarket on Sunday when we shop. (I never put meat in the freezer because I never remember to defrost anything. Stuff that goes into the freezer rarely comes out before it's freezer-burnt.) I have a mental list of meals and sides that can be prepared quickly on weekday evenings. BG - DGW similarity score is off the charts here... I'm thinking tonight is going to be a chicken parm night...

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 16 2010 02:53 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

I am Adam Dunn to y'alls Wally Backman/Christian Guzman (or vice versa, if you prefer). I buy a buttload of low-to-mid-priced stuff like pork butt or tenderloin or strip steak when it's on sale, and freeze the bejeezus out of it. Then I put an asterisk on the fridgefront calendar for a month/six weeks from purchase date, along with "pork" or "chicken" or whatever. No freezer burn. I'm pretty damn bad at wasting fresh veggies, though.

metsmarathon Nov 16 2010 02:59 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

mmm, chicken parm... that cassoulet sounds tremendous. that's a lot of effort, but it sounds terrific. i used to waste the hell out of fresh veggies. then i started actually planning my meals for the week, including leaving an open day or two. i throw out a lot less produce now. i'll usually look at a few prior weeks when i do, both for ideas and also to avoid too much repetition.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 16 2010 03:03 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Wifey Bucket is always freezing my meat. (ugh!) I'd prefer to get by only with what we need for a few days or a week, but it's just not feasible on our schedules. I am good at cooking a few things, my instincts aren't very good but I've learned as I go. I make decent paella and have gotten pretty good at the grill and smoker. Learning lately to cook fish without making rubber. Wifey is much better all-around and does all the baking.

themetfairy Nov 16 2010 03:21 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

I cook most weekdays out of default - it just makes sense for me to be the one to do it. But D-Dad is the better cook; he's not afraid to experiment and just have fun with it. I make a mean soda bread, and good chocolate chip cookies (the recipe on the Nestle's Toll House Morsels bag is my go to recipe, and I'll play with variations on that at times). My stuff is edible, but nothing special - thank goodness D-Dad and the boys aren't fussy eaters....

metsmarathon Nov 16 2010 06:00 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

well, tonight's effort is pretty good. though i'm not entirely sure what to call it. "southwest chicken cacciatore" doesn't really seem correct, so i'm open to suggestion. i made it on teh fly, so this will be my best attempt at a recreation 1 chicken breast 2 tbsp evoo 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 dried new mexico chilis, seeded and chopped 1/2 yellow onion, chopped 14 oz fire roasted crushed tomatoes 2 tbsp cumin 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp chipotle powder 1 tsp dried cilantro 1 tsp honey (optional) 1/2 cup rice 1 cup chicken stock 1. cut chicken crosswise into 1/2" slices. sprinkle with salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. (i only did one side cos i was lazy...) 2. heat oil in skillet on medium-high. place chicken seasoned side down, and cook 3-5 min. turn over and cook 1 min. add onion and cook 3 min, or until translucent. 3. add remainder of ingredients except honey and bring to a boil. cover, and simmer 20-25 min. after 15 minutes, add honey if desired. 4. remove from heat and let rest 5 min to thicken. 5. serve, possibly with black beans cooked with onion it was pretty good, but not great. i mean, i like to think it came out well for just tossing things together. but it would've been better with a little more time cooking before the rice is added, to help break down the chili skins, and with a fresh, diced poblano added into the second half of step 2. possibly supplanting one of the dried new mexicos. it just needs a little more depth, i think, and the poblano would help. garlic would be a good addition as well. i added the honey in there, by the way, because mrs.mm typically is not too fond of the new mexico chilis, and the honey cut that flavor down a bit and added some nice sweetness. if i wasn't rushing to find something in the pantry quick to suit my needs, i probably would've gone for brown sugar. but honey is what i grabbed. most likely, i write this down in my cookbook, with the above-mentioned mods, and make it again. as always, it serves 3-4, or, as actually happens, mrs.mm has a normal serving, and i go on to demonstrate why i need to never ever not run.

dgwphotography Nov 16 2010 06:10 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Tonight's chicken parm was good - sauteed some garlic in the oil before I added the chicken - gave it a nice little kick...

themetfairy Nov 16 2010 06:29 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

I made this Hot Dog Casserole this evening. I used low fat hot dogs and cheese, so it isn't unreasonable from a caloric/cholesterol perspective.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 16 2010 06:36 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

dgwphotography wrote: Tonight's chicken parm was good - sauteed some garlic in the oil before I added the chicken - gave it a nice little kick... Nice. I like spiking the breading, myself.

themetfairy Nov 16 2010 06:41 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Bagna Cauda, or baked garlic in oil, is a fabulous appetizer. It's not difficult (the hardest part is peeling the garlic), but it's time consuming (the recipe calls for 90 minutes, but we usually give it 2 hours). What's nice about this is that it's a forgiving recipe. For parties we tend to put in a lot of extra garlic, and it still works. Only one can of anchovies is necessary no matter how much garlic you're cooking - a little anchovy goes a long way.

Ceetar Nov 16 2010 06:57 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

My default dish tonight..pasta with meatballs and homemade sauce. (Why yes, I'm Italian, how'd you tell?) Really simple. throw a bunch of random tasty looking spices(parsley, oregano, basil, sea salt, black pepper, garlic, cumin, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne, chili powder, onion powder, brown sugar and some leftover Sangria I made a couple of months ago but didn't finish) in a pot with tomato sauce, brown some garlic. mix up the meat with eggs, breadcrumbs, some other random spices (garlic, onion, salt, cayenne), roll into balls, toss in sauce pot.

dgwphotography Nov 16 2010 07:00 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: dgwphotography wrote: Tonight's chicken parm was good - sauteed some garlic in the oil before I added the chicken - gave it a nice little kick... Nice. I like spiking the breading, myself. Did that too. I usually season the chicken with salt and pepper, and mix in some shredded romano in with the bread crumbs...

Fman99 Nov 16 2010 07:24 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Made some delicious kabobs tonight... Wegman's thin rope pork sausage, roasted garlic flavor I believe, threaded with baby belle mushrooms and a cut up yellow bell pepper. All basted in a mix of 2 tbl whole grain mustard, 1 tsp canola oil, 2 tsp rice wine vinegar and a little dried thyme and grilled for about 10 minutes. Served over rice.

metsmarathon Nov 22 2010 07:46 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

sigh. ya know what's not cooking? my oven. grumble. its been giving me crap lately, and i think the temperature sensor has finally given out. either that or the controlling electronics. whichever, i doubt its something i can get before thanksgiving. the oven will heat up at a slower rate than usual, then the temperature will jump up suddenly. then when it finally convinces itself that it's at the right temperature, it stays there all happy. until it decides that it needs to cycle on again. then there's about a 25% chance on any given temperature cycle that the oven will return an error message indicating what i believe is "oh crap, i'm on fire!" and then it shuts off. i mean, its a crappy oven and we've never been terribly sure that it's been accurately reporting its internal temperature, but we were hoping the damned thing would hang on for a bit. it's an in-wall dealie, but a small one (the first year we were in the house, we discovered that a normal turkey-roasting pan is too big. luckily we'd done a test-fit the day before, but it still led to a wee bit of last-minute scrambling). we have an old kitchen that we've wanted to redo since we bought the house. in addition to the small in-wall oven, there's also a crappy electric cooktop that we were already going to replace with a cheap gas unit. we figure we could live with the oven for, say five years, until we got around to doing the kitchen, at which point we consolidate the appliances into a complete range thingy and get ourselves a normal-sized oven. the only downside to the plan is that whatever we spend on replacing the cooktop is basically lost. if the oven needs to be replaced, that doubles our non-recoverable investment. the alternative is to do some minor radical kitchen surgery. cut open the cabinets to fit a range where the cooktop is, losing a bit of storage and making that black hole under the corner even less accessible, and converting the hole where the oven would be into some shelves or the like. i think it could be done fairly cleanly, but there's a good potential for unmitigated disaster. plus the loss of storage always hurts. regardless, i don't really think it's a project i would want to take up in the days immediately preceding thanksgiving. that said, despite the best efforts of my oven, i made a pretty tasty dinner last night. i've got a personal seasoned salt blend that i cobble together from various spice jars. it's got a fair amount of cumin, plus some paprika, cayenne, chipotle, ancho, onion, garlic, some dried herbs, etc. etc. etc. all mixed with a whole lot of salt in many different grain sizes. i need to standardize it a little, cos when i run out of this batch, i have to make a new one, and i'm really not sure of how much of everything is in it. but whatever. just about every time i cook steak, i rub some of this on. it's just delicious. so i grilled up some filet mignon rubbed with my seasoned salt. sharing space on the grill was some romaine lettuce, sprayed lightly with olive oil. take a head of romaine lettuce, being sure to leave the stem intact, remove any extreior leaves you're not fond of, and rinse it off good. lightly spray the outside of it with oil, and plop it on a hot grill. turn it every so often. once hte outer leaves start getting all crispy, take it off the grill, cut it lengthwise through the stem, give the cut side a quick spritz, and lay it back down on the grill, cut side down. take it off before it gets too charred. cut off the stem and divvy it up to your dinner companions. you can dress it, but it's not necessary. the heat breaks it down a bit and turns it a little sweet. its surprisingly simple. and into the oven, i tossed some red and russet potatoes, cut up into bite size bits, along with half a red onion, some fresh sage and rosemary, and four slices of super-thick bacon, all chopped up, about a tablespoon or two of coconut oil, which you don't need to chop up, and some salt and pepper. these were mixed up briefly before being spread out onto a cookie sheet. the plan was to roast that along for 30-odd minutes at 425º with some occasional mixing about. well, the oven crapped out about 5-10 minutes in. the remainder of the evening i was fighting with just getting the oven to turn back on. the broiler functioned helped a bit, as i think that has a higher trigger point. it came out well enough, but was a little uneven. the potatoes were just a little bit underdone, and the bacon could've been crispier, but i was tired of fighting the damned thing, and didn't want to broil the herbs into char. but yeah, overall, it came out good. the best part was watching minimm pick up some little chunks of grilled moo, and shove them into his gaping maw. he likes his moo cow. he also liked the potatoes. the grilled romaine, he wasn't too much of a fan of, though his pieces had cooled and might've been slightly off-putting from a textural aspect.

Ceetar Nov 22 2010 07:52 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

My oven is horrible as well. I despise it, and can't trust it. ( I live in an apartment, it's not really 'my' oven, which does limit me) I keep a thermometer in there though. I have to set the dial (analog dial) for about 80degrees below what I want at it, and it sorta works, but it surges way higher sometimes, particularly if i open the door too much. It's a very simple watching and guessing experience as trying to maintain a 160degree temp for my wort on an electric stove. Anyway, I'm not doing Thanksgiving, but of course I have to make a dessert. Im trying to figure out what to make. Want something 'different', and probably want some chocolate. I saw a recipe for a chocolate praline pie with bourbon whipped cream that's tempting.

Ashie62 Nov 22 2010 08:16 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

metsmarathon wrote: sigh. ya know what's not cooking? my oven. grumble. its been giving me crap lately, and i think the temperature sensor has finally given out. either that or the controlling electronics. whichever, i doubt its something i can get before thanksgiving. the oven will heat up at a slower rate than usual, then the temperature will jump up suddenly. then when it finally convinces itself that it's at the right temperature, it stays there all happy. until it decides that it needs to cycle on again. then there's about a 25% chance on any given temperature cycle that the oven will return an error message indicating what i believe is "oh crap, i'm on fire!" and then it shuts off. i mean, its a crappy oven and we've never been terribly sure that it's been accurately reporting its internal temperature, but we were hoping the damned thing would hang on for a bit. it's an in-wall dealie, but a small one (the first year we were in the house, we discovered that a normal turkey-roasting pan is too big. luckily we'd done a test-fit the day before, but it still led to a wee bit of last-minute scrambling). we have an old kitchen that we've wanted to redo since we bought the house. in addition to the small in-wall oven, there's also a crappy electric cooktop that we were already going to replace with a cheap gas unit. we figure we could live with the oven for, say five years, until we got around to doing the kitchen, at which point we consolidate the appliances into a complete range thingy and get ourselves a normal-sized oven. the only downside to the plan is that whatever we spend on replacing the cooktop is basically lost. if the oven needs to be replaced, that doubles our non-recoverable investment. the alternative is to do some minor radical kitchen surgery. cut open the cabinets to fit a range where the cooktop is, losing a bit of storage and making that black hole under the corner even less accessible, and converting the hole where the oven would be into some shelves or the like. i think it could be done fairly cleanly, but there's a good potential for unmitigated disaster. plus the loss of storage always hurts. regardless, i don't really think it's a project i would want to take up in the days immediately preceding thanksgiving. that said, despite the best efforts of my oven, i made a pretty tasty dinner last night. i've got a personal seasoned salt blend that i cobble together from various spice jars. it's got a fair amount of cumin, plus some paprika, cayenne, chipotle, ancho, onion, garlic, some dried herbs, etc. etc. etc. all mixed with a whole lot of salt in many different grain sizes. i need to standardize it a little, cos when i run out of this batch, i have to make a new one, and i'm really not sure of how much of everything is in it. but whatever. just about every time i cook steak, i rub some of this on. it's just delicious. so i grilled up some filet mignon rubbed with my seasoned salt. sharing space on the grill was some romaine lettuce, sprayed lightly with olive oil. take a head of romaine lettuce, being sure to leave the stem intact, remove any extreior leaves you're not fond of, and rinse it off good. lightly spray the outside of it with oil, and plop it on a hot grill. turn it every so often. once hte outer leaves start getting all crispy, take it off the grill, cut it lengthwise through the stem, give the cut side a quick spritz, and lay it back down on the grill, cut side down. take it off before it gets too charred. cut off the stem and divvy it up to your dinner companions. you can dress it, but it's not necessary. the heat breaks it down a bit and turns it a little sweet. its surprisingly simple. and into the oven, i tossed some red and russet potatoes, cut up into bite size bits, along with half a red onion, some fresh sage and rosemary, and four slices of super-thick bacon, all chopped up, about a tablespoon or two of coconut oil, which you don't need to chop up, and some salt and pepper. these were mixed up briefly before being spread out onto a cookie sheet. the plan was to roast that along for 30-odd minutes at 425º with some occasional mixing about. well, the oven crapped out about 5-10 minutes in. the remainder of the evening i was fighting with just getting the oven to turn back on. the broiler functioned helped a bit, as i think that has a higher trigger point. it came out well enough, but was a little uneven. the potatoes were just a little bit underdone, and the bacon could've been crispier, but i was tired of fighting the damned thing, and didn't want to broil the herbs into char. but yeah, overall, it came out good. the best part was watching minimm pick up some little chunks of grilled moo, and shove them into his gaping maw. he likes his moo cow. he also liked the potatoes. the grilled romaine, he wasn't too much of a fan of, though his pieces had cooled and might've been slightly off-putting from a textural aspect. It is possible the that the problem with the oven is either the broil or bake element. If you take one out you can test the two terminals for conductivity. Also look to see if the terminals are "pitted". With a wall oven its' worth the effort, versus cutouts so to say.

metsmarathon Nov 22 2010 08:39 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

true. before considering replacing it or radically reconfiguring the kitchen, i need to take a hack at repairing the thing. obviously, if i can spend a hundred and get the awful thing working again, that's far better than the alternatives. it does me little good for turkey day though...

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 08 2010 10:02 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Anyone been to Eataly yet? They opened an upscale Italian specialty food market at 25th & Broadway modeled after the famous one in Turin, Italy. Me & Lunchpail stopped in recently but only for a short time (we didn't eat there or visit the rooftop brewpub), but we picked up a $7 pound package of spaghetti noodles and a $8 jar of marinara sauce. Whipped 'em up the other nite with some sausage from Fairway, belissimo. If anyone is into Italian food this seems like a real interesting place to find some good (if expensive) ingredients and even if you're just a hack like me it can lead to a pretty awesome spaghetti night. You could also make a date of it with your sweetheart. Here's the 'pail in a pasta aisle:

Edgy DC Dec 09 2010 08:21 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Just to ask, but can dried pasta really be justifiable at that price?

Ceetar Dec 09 2010 08:31 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Edgy DC wrote: Just to ask, but can dried pasta really be justifiable at that price? I wonder that myself. Is it significantly better than the $1/lb I buy the store? Even fresh pasta's less than that. I'm still curious to check it out though. gonna be bouncing around holiday markets on Sunday, maybe i'll swing by there.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 09 2010 08:49 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Edgy DC wrote: Just to ask, but can dried pasta really be justifiable at that price? Prolly not, at least not as an everyday kinda thing. But it was pretty good! Is it significantly better than the $1/lb I buy the store? Yes. Maybe not 7X as good, but it was good!

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Dec 09 2010 10:22 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Well-made fresh pasta > Absurdly priced dried pasta > Okay fresh pasta > Reg'lar dried pasta Like the man says, it's worth it to splurge on the supernice campanelle for, say, an anniversary dinner or a welcome-home dinner after a long trip (I had fresh pasta made at Grand Central, IIRC, as one of the courses of the LeiterWagner engagement dinner). Otherwise... just get it nice and al dente, and make the hell out of the sauce.

Ceetar Jan 18 2011 07:01 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Tonight I made Baked Ziti (it's in the oven now). I make a lasagna three weeks ago. I make awesome lasagna. And had leftovers, so got like three more meals out of that sucker. mmm...lasagna. Nice homemade tomato sauce, noodles, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan. Baked to perfection. The ziti has two leftover turkey sausages tossed in as well. Other big meals recently: Had the parents and newly in-laws over for a pseudo post-christmas Thanksgiving where i made the turkey we got free from Pathmark. Covered the Turkey with bacon, and basted it every half hour with maple syrup. half and hour before Turkey came out, removed the bacon for a sweet sugary syrupy delicious candy-like bacon snack. Awesome bacon. best bacon ever. bacon. Sides included cornbread stuff, 10 pounds of potatoes (or roughly 1.3 pounds a person) corn, string beans, homemade buttermilk bread, and rice and bean salad.

metsmarathon Jan 18 2011 07:16 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

oh. my. god. turkey maple bacon. that sounds to die for. and after. i've eben meaning to get back to this thread. minimm has been keeping us on our toes as far as food goes lately. he seems to like savory, which is good - i do too. textures are iffy, though. very iffy. and he seems to be fighting over how he wants to be fed - does he want us to feed him with a fork, or pick it up himself off his tray, or grab an adult fork and try to feed himself? none of us are ever sure, including him! but since he seems to like fish, tonight i decided to make some pan-seared tuna steak, with a little pan-sauce made from with onions and carrots, and some bacony brussels sprouts & cauliflower on the side. bacony brussels sprouts is perhaps my new favorite food. minimm seemed to like it as well, after some initial fussing about. apparently, kid-safe forks are clearly not what he wants to use to poke at his food. once we got past that little hurdle, he decided to allow me to use my fork to pick food off his tray and feed him. oy!

DocTee Jan 18 2011 07:16 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Admit it, your New Years resolution was to kill everyone in your family before Spring.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 18 2011 07:49 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

metsmarathon wrote: oh. my. god. turkey maple bacon. that sounds to die for. and after. Do me a favor. Why don't you photograph your culinary creations for us? I'd rather look at food than at light bulbs.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 18 2011 07:50 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

What's the most you've ever paid for a piece of meat you were prepping at home?

batmagadanleadoff Jan 18 2011 07:56 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: What's the most you've ever paid for a piece of meat you were prepping at home? I paid about $50.00 close to twenty years ago for a beautiful leg of lamb that I ruined and ended up throwing out. That 50 had to have inflated to at least twice as much today.

metsmarathon Jan 18 2011 08:11 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

batmagadanleadoff wrote: metsmarathon wrote: oh. my. god. turkey maple bacon. that sounds to die for. and after. Do me a favor. Why don't you photograph your culinary creations for us? I'd rather look at food than at light bulbs. my kitchen is a mess, and i'm not always happy with my plating.

Ceetar Jan 18 2011 09:45 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

piece of butter cake?

Frayed Knot Jan 19 2011 07:01 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: What's the most you've ever paid for a piece of meat you were prepping at home? Cue FMAN

metirish Jan 19 2011 07:10 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Frayed Knot wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: What's the most you've ever paid for a piece of meat you were prepping at home? Cue FMAN My thoughts exactly ...

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 19 2011 07:29 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: What's the most you've ever paid for a piece of meat you were prepping at home? The Christmas goose that caught fire this year was around $75 iirc. I've seen some cuts of meat at Fairway I'd prolly pay $1,000 for if I had the scratch.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 19 2011 07:54 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

If you're looking for a struggle-free way to get your kids to eat more vegetables, I have a zucchini recipe that both my kids actually like. Zucchini is a surprisingly kid friendly vegetable. (I'm surprised because I remember how my mother used to make it when I was a kid. She must have used some kind of dry-heat cooking that left the zucchini kind of chewy. I might be okay with that now, but it grossed me out when I was a kid.) Anyway, here's what I do: Shred the zucchini, toss it with salt, and let it sit in a colander for about 30 to 60 minutes. (Leave the colander in the sink; it will get a green puddle under it as the salt leeches some of the liquid from the zucchini.) Next, in a skillet, saute the zucchini with garlic, olive (or canola) oil, and season with grated cheese and dried basil. Cook it for about ten minutes, and then stir in some cooked pasta. (I use farfalle, the bow-tie or butterfly pasta, for this dish.) Add more basil and grated cheese, and serve.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 19 2011 08:31 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: What's the most you've ever paid for a piece of meat you were prepping at home? Just did $39 for a 22-24 oz. porterhouse-- one of those Fairway prime cuts-- this New Year's, which is the reason the question occurred to me. I've done $70 for organic leg of lamb before, a couple of years ago, but that was by specific request (was cooking for a family/friends thing). The p'house might be the single biggest home food-stravagance I've ever done strictly for a 1-2 person dinner (outside of, say, special-ordered cake).

metsmarathon Jan 19 2011 08:53 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: If you're looking for a struggle-free way to get your kids to eat more vegetables, I have a zucchini recipe that both my kids actually like. Zucchini is a surprisingly kid friendly vegetable. (I'm surprised because I remember how my mother used to make it when I was a kid. She must have used some kind of dry-heat cooking that left the zucchini kind of chewy. I might be okay with that now, but it grossed me out when I was a kid.) Anyway, here's what I do: Shred the zucchini, toss it with salt, and let it sit in a colander for about 30 to 60 minutes. (Leave the colander in the sink; it will get a green puddle under it as the salt leeches some of the liquid from the zucchini.) Next, in a skillet, saute the zucchini with garlic, olive (or canola) oil, and season with grated cheese and dried basil. Cook it for about ten minutes, and then stir in some cooked pasta. (I use farfalle, the bow-tie or butterfly pasta, for this dish.) Add more basil and grated cheese, and serve. yes, i've already found that adding grated cheese to warmed veggies is a surefire way to get them a) into his mouth and b) usually get swallowed.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 20 2011 09:22 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

metsmarathon wrote: metsmarathon wrote: oh. my. god. turkey maple bacon. that sounds to die for. and after. Do me a favor. Why don't you photograph your culinary creations for us? I'd rather look at food than at light bulbs. my kitchen is a mess, and i'm not always happy with my plating. But you're among friends.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 20 2011 09:32 AM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

batmagadanleadoff wrote: metsmarathon wrote: my kitchen is a mess, and i'm not always happy with my plating. But you're among friends. I get what he's talking about; I'm rarely happy with my plating. Maybe 1 out of 3 dishes I make look like something more than "presentable." And really, it feels like the aesthetic problems are only leavened by the (presumably) decent flavoring and taste... which are lost in photos*. *The same reason BetterHalfer loves "Project Runway," but can't sit still for entire episodes of "Top Chef."

metsmarathon Feb 05 2011 09:23 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

oh. my. god. turkey maple bacon. that sounds to die for. and after. Do me a favor. Why don't you photograph your culinary creations for us? I'd rather look at food than at light bulbs. 52. I'm Making Chili by twenny6point2, on Flickr i'm making chili tonight a) so i don't have to worry about spending all day making it tomorrow, b) so i don't have to ferry a pot of hot chili across town to my friend's super bowl party, and c) because its always better the second day. what's in it? well, the exact proportions and process are a closely guarded secret. but i can tell you this... that photo has everything, except for the garnish. to help you out in your game of where's waldo: onions, red and vidallia shallot elephant garlic peppers: jalapeno, poblano, dried puya, dried jalapeno, dried new mexico, cayenne powder, chipotle powder, red pepper flake cumin paprika bay leaf lean ground beef bacon chicken stock tequila (cabo wabo reposado) agave nectar dark brown sugar beans: black, kidney, pinto corn meal ditalini pasta corn diced fire roasted tomatoes diced campari tomatoes cilantro takes about three hours or so.

metsmarathon Feb 05 2011 10:01 PM Re: what's cookin' good lookin'?

Chili's Done by twenny6point2, on Flickr